Apparatus for corrugating sheet metal receptacles



ct. 15, N35. -.1. STANlTZ El AL 7,

APPARATUS FOR CORRUGATING SHEET METAL RECEPTAGLES Original Filed July 24, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l 650%: D; 50145, flzczmo av (2mm 1% Barre-M 7/1! M lton 12 M2704 flaw/r flu-warms Oct. 15, 1935. J. STANITZ ET AL APPARATUS FOR CORRUGATING SHEE'I METAL RECEPTACLES Original Filed July 24, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 s nmv m 2 m wvwf w w Z3 Jan 2 66% Patented. Oct. 15, 1935 UITED sr APPARATUS FOR CORRUGATING SHEET METAL RECEPTACLES Original application July 24, 1933, Serial No. 681,833, new Patent 2,003,981, June 4, 1935. Divided and this application May 2, 1935, Serial 6 Claims. (Cl. 153-70) flutes, and the like to produce ribs, corrugations,

and the like, extending upwards in the side walls of relatively deep receptacles or containers drawn or formed from a single piece or blank of sheet or plate metal.

Such receptacles may be used for many purposes, for example, as tubs for power-driven washing machines; and it is desired that such corrugated receptacles have grooves, and the like, preferably of uniform width, depth and contour throughout their extent, and/or that the grooves, and the like extend upwards in the side walls of the receptacles from an intermediate portion of a curved corner wall provided between the integral bottom and side walls thereof.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide apparatus for making and corrugating sheet metal receptacles having the characteristics just described, in which grooves, channels, furrows, flutes, and the like, are provided in the receptacle side walls extending up wards therein from a preferably intermediate portion of the curved corner wall provided between the integral receptacle bottom and side walls.

Different ways have been proposed and used for forming corrugated side walls for sheet metal receptacles made from integral sheet blanks, but the same have either involved the formation of tapered corrugations in the side walls which extend completely to the top edge of the receptacles,

or have involved the formation of usually quite shallow corrugations extending only in portions of the side walls and which do not extend upwards from an intermediate portion of a curved corner wall between integral receptacle side and bottom walls.

Another method of making sheet metal receptacles has been proposed in which a bottom wall is seamed or otherwise joined to separately made, formed and corrugated sheet metal side walls.

However, the receptacles which are produced in such ways are not satisfactory for the purposes which are admirably satisfied by our improved products; apparatus for making which comprises another of the objects of the present invention.

It has been proposed that substantially vertical corrugations may be formed in the side walls of a sheet metal receptacle drawn from a single sheet or blank of metal by circumferentially rolling the side walls between corrugating rollshaving axially extending corrugations in their outer surface; or by stamping or pressing one or more corrugations successively around the periphery of the side walls of a receptacle.

However, such ways of making corrugated receptacles have proven unsuccessful because the corrugations provided thereby have iulldepth only for a portion of their extent, and the corrugations become shallow in other portions thereof. Moreover, the receptacle side walls are gathered or bulged inward so that a generally cylindrical'outside receptacle contour cannot be maintained, because only one or relatively few corrugations are formed at any one time in the side walls by such methods and the side wall metal is thereby gathered, rather than being stretched by the corrugating operation.

It has also been attempted to provide corrugations in the side walls of a deep drawn receptacle having an integral bottom Wall by uti1izing a punch cooperating with a female die having inwardly protruding die ribs provided with a contourin cross section corresponding to the contour of grooves desired to be provided in the receptacle side walls. However, the formation of ribs in the side walls of a receptacle by these means, even though the die ribs or bars are'polished or formed from specially plated metal or from tool steel, produces scratches in the receptacle side walls where the corrugations are formed, so that the same are absolutely unsatisfactory and cannot be provided with a vitreous enamel coating, which in many cases it is desired to provide on the receptacles which the present invention proposes to make.

It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus for making and corrugating the side walls of a deep drawn sheet metal receptacle which avoids all these diirlculties and by which sheet metal receptacles having corrugated side walls may be satisfactorily made with resulting truly vertically extending side walls and which may be provided with a vitreous enamelled coating.

It is likewise a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus for making and corrugating the side walls of a deep drawn sheet metal receptacle by which either vertically or spirally extending grooves of either equal or varying length may be provided in the receptacle side walls;

When sheet metal receptacles having integral side and bottom walls are utilized as tubs for washing machines, it is desirable in many cases to provide special formations in the tub bottom wall for drainage purposes, and/or to offset portions of the bottom wall from the remainder thereof, which bottom wall formations may be readily made during the receptacle drawing operation prior to corrugating the side walls.

It is therefore a further object of the present invention toprovide apparatus for making and corrugating the side walls of a deep drawn sheet metal receptacle which when used for carrying out the corrugating operation will not distort bottom wall formations which may have been provided in the receptacle bottom wall when thereceptacle blank is drawn.

And finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for making and corrugating the side walls of, a deep drawn sheet metal receptacle which satisfies the desiderata described above, which may be operated in an inexpensive manner. and which may be used to produce corrugated sheet metal receptacles having pleasing, attractive and distinctive appearances.

These and other objects may be obtained by the apparatus, combinations, sub-combinations, parts and elements,. preferred embodiments of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a view of a deep drawn receptacle blank having integral bottom and side walls with a curved corner wall therebetween, prior to being operated upon by the improved apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a view of the receptacle blank after the improved apparatus has been used to provide the same with grooves extending upwards in its side walls from an intermediate portion of the curved corner wall;

Fig. 3 is an axial sectional view through the improved apparatus, which may be used to form the corrugated receptacle shown in Fig. 2 from the deep drawn receptacle blank shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of portions of the die means shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 55, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. l. of a deep drawn receptacle blank;

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a corrugated receptacle made from the blank shown in Fig. 6 having a modified form of side wall corrugations;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 3, of the die means shown in Fig. 3 slightly modified to form the receptacle corrugations shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 4 of the die means shown in Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 5,taken on the line III-Ii Fig. 9.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various figures of the drawings.

A receptacle blank indicated generally at I I in Fig. 1 is formed from a single piece of sheet or plate metal to provide a bottom wall I 2, side walls I3 integral therewith, and with a curved corner wall I4 therebetween, in suitable dies. The blank I I may then be provided with spaced grooves, channels, flutes, furrows and the like, indicated at I 5 in Fig. 2 in the side walls I3 thereof extending upwards in the'side walls preferably from an intermediate portion'35 of the curved corner wall It toform the corrugated receptacle generally indicated at I 6 in Fig. 2, by utilizing the improved apparatus.

One form of the improved apparatus is shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, and may comprise a male die I'I, mounted in any usual manner on a press ram head I8, and a female die generally indicated at I9, mounted on the press base 20, the male and female dies I1 and I9 being relatively axially movable.

As shown in the drawings, the female die I9 5 may be provided with a series of removable rings 2i provided with a series of spaced axially extending grooves 22, a ring plate 23 being interposed between each ring 20 for a purpose which will be hereinafter described. 10

The upper portion of the female die I9 may also be provided with a recessed ring plate 24, and a ring 25 provided with a series of grooves 25 for a purpose which will also be. hereinafter described. Clamping air cushioning means may 15 also be provided, including a clamping head 21, which may cooperate with the lower end of the male die H, to clamp the receptacle blank I8 thereto; the clamping head 21 being mounted on piston rods 28 extending from an air cylinder 29, 20 and the like.

A series of spherical bal1s30 are located in each of the grooves 22 of each removable ring 2|; and a series of grooves 3| is provided in the outer cylindrical surface 32 of the male die I! corre- 5 spending in number and location to the grooves 22 with balls 30 therein of the female die I9.

The male die I'|' may also be provided with a removable bottom plate 33 and the clamping head El may be provided with a removable top 30 plate 34 for a purpose which will be hereinafter described.

In utilizing the improved apparatus, a single piece ofsheet or plate metal is first drawn to form a receptacle blank I I with integral side walls 35 I3 and bottom wall I2, and with a curved corner wall l therebetween. The side walls I3 of the receptacle blank. II are preferably formed to be cylindrical, while the bottom wall !2 thereof may have any desired formation, for providing a for drainage and the like, as by-ofisetting a portion of the bottom wall from the remainder thereof,

The receptacle blank II is then telescoped upon the grooved male die H, which has outer bound- 45 ing surfaces conforming to the inner surfaces of the receptacle blank, the removable bottom plate 33 thereof having a, shape corresponding to the shape or inner contour of the bottom wall of the receptacle blank II. 50

The clamping air cushioning means is then operated to move the clamping head 21 against the bottom wall of the receptacle blank, so as to clamp the receptacle blank against the male die E'l; the removable clamping head top plate 55 34 having a contour corresponding to the outer contour or shape of the formed receptacle bottom Wall.

The purpose of clamping the bottom wall of the receptacle blank to the male die I1 is to hold 60 the bottom wall shape in the manner in which it was formed during the drawing operation, so that it will not be pulled out of shape when the side walls I3 are being corrugated.

The removable parts and 34 are provided so 65 that different ones may be readily connected to the die I! and clamping head 2! to accommodate receptacle blanks'having different bottom wall formations.

The male and female dies I! and I9 are then 70. relatively axially telescoped as by moving the press ram head I8 downward so that the receptacle blank II on the male die I? is forced into the female die I9 in the manner best illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, whereby the rolling die means or balls 30, which correspond in contour substantially to the contour of the grooves 3| in the male die l1, form grooves in the blank side walls progressively upwards from a portion 35 of a curved comer wall I4 of the receptacle blank H.

The male die i1 is then withdrawn from the female die l9 and the' resulting corrugated receptacle l6 may then be stripped from the male die.

The corrugated receptacle product l6 illustrated and described, but not claimed herein, is illustrated, described and claimed in the copending application of Jacques Stanitz and George D. Boyer, entitled Sheet metal receptacles, filed July 24, 1933, Serial No. 681,832, matured on June 18, 1935, as Patent No. 2,005,641. Moreover, the apparatus disclosed, described and claimed herein constitutes improvements upon the apparatus shown, described and claimed in the Stanitz 8: Boyer Patent No. 1,919,869, dated July 25, 1933, entitled Corrugating apparatus.

And finally, this application is a division of the application of Jacques Stanitz and George D. Boyer, filed July 24, 1933, Serial No. 681,833, matured on June 4, 1935, as Patent No. 2,003,981, entitled Method of corrugating sheet metal receptacles, which discloses and describes, but does not claim the apparatus claimed herein.

The plates 23 are interposed between the rings 2! so as to relieve excessive pressure upon the lower balls of each series of balls 39 in each groove 22 of each ring 2|. Moreover, certain of the upper balls 30 in the grooves of certain of the upper rings 2| may be removed in stepped relation around the periphery of the female die is if it is desired to form corrugations of varying lengths in the side walls of the receptacle extending from a portion of the curved corner wall thereof; such products being illustrated in said application entitled Sheet metal receptacles, filed 'July 24, 1933, Serial No. 681,832, matured on June 18, 1935, as Patent No. 2,005,641.

Moreover, if it is desired to form spiral grooves in the receptacle side walls instead of vertically extending ones as illustrated, the same may be accomplished by relatively rotating the male and female dies at the same time that the male and female dies are being relatively telescoped, as shown in Patent No. 1,919,869.

The balls 30 being rolling die means, cause the grooves or corrugations I 5 to have a uniform depth, width and contour in cross section throughout their length; it being clear that if it is desired to make the grooves l5 deeper adjacent the bottom portionof the receptacle, than at the upper ends of the grooves, the same may be accomplished by providing larger balls 39 in the lower rings 23 of the female die, a corresponding provision being made in the grooves 3| of the male die ll.

In this manner, spaced relatively deep grooves may be formed in accordance with the improved method which extend upwards from a portion of the curved corner wall of a receptacle having integral bottom and side walls, as best shown in Fig. 4; and since the grooves are rolled in the side walls, no scratches are made in the receptacle side walls during the corrugating operation, which would prevent an unsatisfactory enamel coating from being applied to the receptacle.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate steps in the manufacture of another form' of receptacle side wall grooves, the receptacle blank ll shown in Fig. 6, being formed from a single piece of sheet or plate metal with a bottom wall 12, side walls [3 integral therewith and a curved corner wall 14 therebetween. The blank H may then be provided with 1 spaced grooves generally indicated at 15a each comprising preferably substantially flattened portions I5?) and a curved portion I50, the grooves 15a extending upwards in the side walls preferably from an intermediate portion 35a .of the curved comer wall M to form'the corrugated receptacle generally indicated at 16a in Fig. 7. a

The manufacture of the receptacle 1611 may be accomplished in the improved apparatus such as shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, which is a slightly modified form of apparatus shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, as by utilizing a male die Ila having grcoves3l a therein corresponding with the shape of thegrooves iEa to be provided in the receptacle lB-a.

Likewise, the'female die 19 is modified by removing the balls 30 and placing rollers 30a having substantially cylindrical portions 30?), spherical ends 330 and an intermediate enlarged portion 30d, in the grooves 26 of the ring mounted above the ball rings 2|.

The ring plate 24 is recessed at 25a to accommodate the enlarged portion 39d of each roller a; and the top member 36 of the female die I9 is also recessed at 31 adjacent each groove 26 to accommodate the enlarged portion 30d of each roll 30a. The apparatus shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10 is operated to force the receptacle blank ll into the female die l9 so that the rolls 300, form corrugations |5a in the side walls l3 thereof extending upwards from an intermediate portion 35a of the curved corner wall it, as best shown in Fig. 9.

It is not intended to limitv the scope of. the present invention to'the particular shapes of groove formations shown or described herein, because it is clear that other groove formations may be made on the improved apparatus by utilizing rolling die means having the desired shape.

Nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present invention to apparatus for making receptacles used solely as tubs for washing machines, because it is clear that other vessels or containers having corrugated side walls may be made on the improved apparatus, so that the term receptacle utilized herein and in the claims, is intended to include such articles.

Likewise, the word grooves used herein is intended to include grooves, channelafurrows, flutes and the like, which form ribs, corrugations and the like in the side walls of sheet metal receptacles; and the word curved utilized herein as describing the receptacle corner wall is intended to refer to any type of shaped or rounded corner as distinguished from one which is sharp.

And finally, the term sheet metal used herein and in the appended claims is intended to refer to sheet or plate metal according to the desired thickness of the material utilized.

The improved apparatus therefore provides for the inexpensive manufacture of attractive and distinctively appearing sheet metal receptacles having integral bottom and side walls from a single piece of sheet metal having a series of grooves forming ribs extending upwards in the side walls of the receptacles, preferably from an intermediate portion of a curved corner wall provided between the bottom and side walls, without there being any resulting annular recess present in the receptacles below the lower ends of the ribs or corrugations, and without so injuring the receptacles that they may not be satisfactorily coated with a uniform vitreous enamel coating.

We claim:-

1. Apparatus for forming grooves in the side walls of sheet metal receptacles, including a female die provided with a series of removable rings each having spaced inner axially extending grooves, a ring plate interposed between adjacent rings, and rotatable members in each of the grooves of certain of said rings, the lowermost rotatable member in each groove resting on the ring plate next below; and a male die adapted to be relatively telescoped within said female die having a series of grooves adapted to register with said rotatable members.

2. Apparatus for forming grooves in the side walls of sheet metal receptacles, including a female die provided with a series of removable rings each having spaced inner axially extending grooves, a ring plate interposed between adjacent rings, a plurality of rotatable members in certain of said grooves, the lowermost rotatable member in each groove resting on the ring plate next below; and a male die adapted to be relatively telescoped within said female die having a series of grooves adapted to register with said rotatable members.

3. In apparatus for forming grooves in the side Walls of sheet metal receptacles, a female die provided with a series of removable rings each having spaced inner axially extending grooves, rotatable members in certain of said grooves, and a removable ring plate disposed below each of said rings and between adjacent rings, whereby said ring plates may support rotatable members placed in any of said grooves of any of said rings.

4. Apparatus for forming grooves in the side walls of a sheet metal receptacle having a bottom wall formed with an offset portion, including a female die provided with a series of removable rings each having spaced inner axially extending grooves, a removable ring plate disposed below each of said rings and interposed between adjacent rings, rotatable members in cer tain of said grooves, the lowermost rotatable memher in each groove resting on the ring plate next below; a male die adapted to be relatively telescoped within said female die having a series of grooves adapted to register with said rotatable member, a removable bottom plate on said male die, a cushioned clamping head adapted to cooperate with the male die having a removable top plate, and said bottom and top plates being formed with a contour corresponding to the contour of the formed receptacle bottom wall; whereby a receptacle may be securely clamped and held to the male die as the male die is being telescoped into the female die to form grooves in the side walls thereof.

5. Apparatus for forming grooves in the side walls of a sheet metal receptacle having a bottom wall formed with an offset portion, including a female die provided with a removable ring having .spaced inner axially extending grooves, a removable ring plate disposed below said ring, a rotatable member in each of said grooves resting on the ring plate; a male die adapted to be relatively telescoped within said female die having a series of grooves adapted to register with said rotatable member, a removable bottom plate on said male die, a cushioned clamping head adapted to cooperate with the male die having a removable top plate, and said bottom and top plates being formed with a contour corresponding to the contour of the formed receptacle bottom wall; whereby a receptacle may be securely clamped and held to the male die as the male die is being telescoped into the female die to form grooves in the side wall thereof.

6. Apparatus for forming grooves in the side walls of a sheet metal receptacle having a bottom wall formed with an offset portion, including a female die provided with a series of removable rings each having spaced inner axially extending grooves, a removable ring plate disposed below each of said rings and interposed between adjacent rings, the lowermost rotatable member in each groove resting onthe ring plate next below; a male die adapted to be relatively telescoped within said female die having a series of grooves adapted to register with said rotatable member, a cushioned clamping head adapted to cooperate with the male die, and the bottom wall of said male die and the top wall of said clamping head being formed with a contour corresponding to the contour of the formed receptacle bottom wall; whereby a receptacle may be securely clamped and held to the male die as the male die is being telescoped into the female die to form grooves in the side walls thereof.

JACQUES STANITZ. CLARA M. BOYER,

THE MCDOWELL NATIONAL BANK,

' OF SHARON, PA., By JOHN H. EVANS,

Vice President and Trust Ofiicer, Emecutors of Estate of George D Boyer, De-

ceased. 

